Wounds that even Friendship cannot heal
by MewMewExorcist
Summary: "I was six at the time when my parents got divorced...It was also the age when I met Shirley..." One-shot Complete


**Yay, another one-shot! And this time it's not Yusei, wait, what? Did I sau Yusei? I meant Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's. (Seriously, I did! My fingers typed Yusei on their own accord!) So yeah, one-shot from Yu-Gi-Oh GX. Enjoy!**

**Wounds that even Friendship cannot heal**

Jim Cook was stretched out face down in a bed in the nurse's office. His shirt stained crimson with blood had been stripped away from his upper torso. Jaden, Jesse, and a few others watched on anxiously as he winced with pain from the antiseptic that Mrs. Fontaine was washing into the nasty gash on his back. Shirley, his crocodile partner, growled softly in agitation. Jim smiled assuredly at her, speaking softly in a low tone. "Don't worry Shirley; I'll be right as rain in a few."

Mrs. Fontaine shook her head, tutting. "Oh no Jim, you're not doing any lengthy exercise for a while yet. Besides, this injury is at least a week old; you are quite lucky it isn't infected yet." Her reddish hair swished back and forth as she went about the room gathering medicine for Jim.

"Alright," she said crisply as she tied off the gauze wrapping around the aussie's abdomen. Handing a few white pills, she continued. "Now, take two of these before you go to sleep. It'll reduce the pain so you can actually rest."

Jim nodded. "Appreciate the treatment ma'am." He swung his legs off the bed in order to stand. He was interrupted by a certain bluenette.

"We'll leave you here mate. Get better soon!" Jesse raised two fingers in a salute to his fellow Australian before heading out the informatory door with Jaden and co.

Jim grinned. "Catch y'all later!" he called at their retreating backs. He reached for his hat and shirt.

Mrs. Fontaine put a firm hand on Jim's shoulder, and when he turned to look at her, he was surprised to see the gentle nurse look unusually worried.

"Yes ma'am?"

Mrs. Fontaine cleared her throat before continuing. "Jim, I saw...a rather...interesting pattern of scars crisscrossing your back. There was also a large bruise; newly healed of course; on your shoulder blades. I have also received many a report of you breaking a bone or another off campus. Now I'm not going to snoop in what is your own personal business, but please do stop getting so many injury's James Crocodile Cook! Alright, you are dismissed." She patted his shoulder before leaving him to put his shirt on.

Jim frowned, eyebrows furrowing. He slipped his shirt over his head, ignoring the bloodstains. He could get a fresh polo from his dorm room later. Shirley snorted at his feet, trundling to the door. Jim shoved his hat on his head before following his crocodile.

"Thanks again Mrs. Fontaine!" He called over his shoulder. He didn't receive a reply.

* * *

><p>Jim locked the door to his room, shrugging on a tan polo gingerly. His slash was scabbing over from his visit to Mrs. Fontaine; he didn't want to crack it and cause it to bleed all over again. Similarly enough, Shirley was walking instead of Jim carrying her.<p>

Thoughts meandering, Jim's feet took him to a cliff overlooking the Duel Academia. _The sight's really spectacular. _Mused Jim thoughtfully. "Can't believe I'm still here to see it."

Footsteps sounded behind him, along with a cheery, "Hello there mate! Whatcha mean by, 'Can't believe I'm still here to see it'?"

Jim sat, patting the ground next to him. "S'up Jesse. You don't really want to know what I mean." His remaining teal eye gazed off into the distance.

Jesse dragged a hand through his messy teal tresses. "Why shouldn't I?" He complained, looking at the crocodile man.

Jim's face showed bitterness and resentment. "Nobody's lived a life as horrible as mine," he snapped. "I wish they not experience what I have during my childhood."

Jesse joked teasingly. "What, the loss of your eye?" His comical grin faltered slightly at the rock hard stare Cook was giving him.

Jim sighed, turning away from his friend. "Naw, I lost my temper a bit there mate. Sorry to have snapped at you." His left hand scratched Shirley's head absently. She growled pleasingly.

"Y'know mate," Jesse began slowly, "You've never talked much about your childhood life. I myself had a pleasurable life as a child. Axel lost his mother in a car accident, Alexis her brother, but Atty's back now. Jaden's parents always worked, and Sy's always had his older brother, Zane. Chazz never liked his brothers, and I think that's pretty much all of us, except for you mate. All we know about you is that you lost your eye protecting Shirley." Jesse sighed, tucking his hands beneath his head as he lay back.

Jim shook his head. "A lie." He stated simply. "I never lost my eye in such a manner. Although I wish I did."

Jesse nodded, digesting the information when- "Wait, what?"

Jim smiled sadly. "Well, since you know that now, might as well know the rest of my story. Are you want to hear it? S'kinda gruesome."

Jesse merely blinked once. "Yeah. Go ahead Jim."

Jim imitated Jesse's position, comfortably settling himself before beginning the saga of his childhood.

"I was six at the time when my parents got divorced...It was also the age when I met Shirley..."

* * *

><p>A young Jim raced down the rain slicked street, backpack bouncing wildly, hat crumpled in his hand while perspiration pelted him by the bucketful as he panted heavily. Clothes dripping, he reached the front door of his ranch house. He gulped audibly, then reached out, turned the knob, and entered his house.<p>

A warm fire crackled in the fireplace; his mother sat in a rocking chair next to the fire, knitting, while his collie, Coco, lay at her feet. Dropping the backpack and hat, he went over to his mother and dog.

"Hi mum. Hi Coco." Coco looked up at the sound of his name. He reached out to touch Coco's long soft fur when a loud footstep behind he made the young aussie jump with fear.

"JIM!" Bellowed a gruff voice. "I told you to be home by 8:00! What time is it now?"

Jim turned to face his horrid stepfather, quaking visibly. "9:00 daddy."

Jim's stepfather turned away. "I won't punish you." Jim relaxed, body almost sagging in relief.

_Slap!_ Six year old Jim was thrown backward by the force of his stepfathers slap. A red hand mark was beginning to show on his face. Jim's stepfather grinned. "I won't punish you _much_. You should be more obedient." With that, he dragged Jim; kicking and screaming; upstairs.

A door slammed. The sound of a hand meeting flesh began. Jim's shrieks of pain and begs of mercy rang around the house.

Downstairs, Jim's mother continued to knit, seemingly oblivious to the torture her son was going through. As time wore on, a small, crystalline tear slipped down her cheek. It fell toward the floor, the firelight catching the tear and shining through it like a diamond. It splashed the floor, soaking in the rug. Jim's mom cried no more.

Jim huddled on his bed, tears mixing with metallic blood in his mouth. His cheeks were puffy from crying and his stepfather's hand. He stared at a picture with longing in his dark teal eyes. His eyes grew heavy from exhaustion, and the picture slipped through his hand as he fell asleep. The small picture fell in a patch of moonlight. Young Jim was running, laughing in the picture, his biological father chasing him through the ranch. His mother sat in the background, helpless with laughter.

That night, Jim's dreams were haunted by his stepfather, per usual, but the nightmare soon faded away to more happy memories, the ones where he was free and happy; carefree and safe. A small smile lit in his mouth as he slept, dreaming of past times.

*A week later*

"Get in there!" Jim's father threw the beaten boy into the half flooded basement, shutting the metal door behind him firmly. Half conscious, Jim revived the second his skin touched the slimy cold water. Coughing and sputtering, he sat up, dazed from the force in which he hit the concrete floor hidden by the water.

His eye was a bloody mess, as was his back and face. Not five minutes ago he had been severely beaten by both his stepfather's metal belt buckle and willow switch. The switch caused most of the slashes crisscrossing his back, while the buckle rendered his eye useless and scarred his face. He cried in pain, blood seeping through the hand cupped around his eye. Quite suddenly, a soft growl sounded from the shadows surrounding Jim.

Much to his surprise, a rather young crocodile half crawled, half dragged itself through the water towards him. Its back legs were broken. It growled again, a snarl of fear and surprise.

Jim reached a free hand toward the creature, crooning softly, all pain gone by the rush of sheer amazement. He had had a crocodile; a crocodile of all things; in his basement. And now he was petting it.

Politely checking its gender, Jim found the crocodile to be a girl. He immediately decided to call her Shirley. Jim tried to stand, but fell back onto Shirley. A black wave crashed over his body and he fell into a sleep with no dreams.

Jim crouched at the head of the stair, Shirley strapped to his back by his torn up shirt. He was waiting for the door to open, as it always did at this time. Today, he was going to get out of this hell hole and make a run for freedom.

The door creaked open a sliver, then opened all the way. The second it did, Jim bolted between his stepfather's legs. His stepfather was so surprised, he reacted a second too late. Lunging for Jim, he missed and fell flat on his face. Jim escaped, heart pounding, with the furious howls of his stepfather behind him. He was free, free to roam, to do whatever he pleased. He was free!

* * *

><p>"And after that, I wandered around for a good week or so until I came upon South Academy. I pretty much stayed there a good part of my life until I came here. That's pretty much my life story mate."<p>

Jesse nodded; you could practically see his brain turning this information around and around in his head, attempting to make some sense of it. "So, when all the duelists returned home a few days ago, you went to see your old man?"

Jim scowled. "Ay. He got me good with the belt, but also got jailed in the process. He should be in there for the rest of his life. My mum's living a happy life now."

Jesse popped up onto his feet. "Look at the sun. We've been up here several hours now. C'mon we're gonna miss dinner! See ya round Jim!" He waved and began to head down the cliff toward Duel Academia.

Jim stood, brushing off his shirt and pants. "Well, we can't let Jaden get too all the food, now can we Shirley? Jesse has the right idea. Let's head back too Shirley."

Jim walked steadily down the slope of the cliff, the brilliant sunset illuminating his figure. Sometimes, friendship can't heal all wounds, but some wounds can never be healed at all. Even so, the subject Jim swore to never talk about managed to heal the hole it left in his heart by itself.

**So, whatcha think? R&R! **


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